Notre Dame going with Under Armour

One of the most valuable equipment contracts in college sports is changing.

The University of Notre Dame will switch from wearing adidas for all its team sports to Under Armour when the current deal expires at the end of the school year, multiple sources told ESPN.com. Terms of the deal, which is expected to be signed in the very near future, are not known.

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Notre Dame will use Under Armour gear for all its team sports when its apparel deal with adidas expires at the end of the school year, sources told ESPN.

Under Armour emerged as the leading candidate for Notre Dame in the last month. Sources say Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank flew to South Bend, Ind., on Thursday to meet with school officials.

Last month, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick denied reports that the school had made a decision to go with Under Armour, saying he was conducting a full review with all the major players, including Nike. Swarbrick did say a decision likely would come after Jan. 1.

"We have been very happy with adidas," Swarbrick told ESPN.com's Matt Fortuna at the time. "But it is just good business to use the expiration of a contract to review all options."

Notre Dame's deal with adidas began in 1997. In 2005, the German shoe and apparel company signed a 10-year deal that lasted through this school year. When Notre Dame signed the deal, it was the top priority for adidas, but things changed when adidas began providing shoes and apparel for the University of Michigan in 2008. The deal that gives the Wolverines $8.2 million in cash and equipment annually is the largest deal in all of college sports.

Under Armour currently has school-wide deals with Auburn, Hawaii, Maryland, Texas Tech, Boston College, Utah, Northwestern, St. John's, South Florida and South Carolina.

ESPN.com's sports business reporter since 2012; previously at ESPN from 2000-06